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Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com Autoblog http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.autoblog.com/media/feedlogo.gif Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com en-us Copyright 2013 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[2011 Korean Grand Prix puts the nail in the coffin [spoilers]]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2011/10/16/2011-korean-grand-prix-put-the-nail-in-the-coffin-spoilers/http://www.autoblog.com/2011/10/16/2011-korean-grand-prix-put-the-nail-in-the-coffin-spoilers/http://www.autoblog.com/2011/10/16/2011-korean-grand-prix-put-the-nail-in-the-coffin-spoilers/#commentsFiled under: Motorsports, South Korea

2011 Korean Grand Prix

The 2011 Formula One World Championship was decided last week in Japan. Or was it? That's where Sebastian Vettel was re-crowned World Champion, propelling himself into the history books as the youngest multiple champ in F1 history. But the series has more than one title in contention each year. So while Vettel won the Drivers' Championship for the second year running, the Constructors' Championship - the title awarded to the winning team, determined by the combined scores of their two drivers - still remained up for grabs.

With four races to go, Red Bull seemed a sure thing to defend its Constructors' Championship. The question came down to a matter of when. In order to seize it in South Korea this weekend, RBR would need to outscore its main rivals at McLaren. In other words, Vettel and his wingman Mark Webber would need to finish the Korean Grand Prix in better average position than Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton. Would that prove too tall an order, or would the defending champs rise to the occasion and shut their rivals out of the championship? Follow the jump to find out.

Continue reading 2011 Korean Grand Prix puts the nail in the coffin [spoilers]

2011 Korean Grand Prix puts the nail in the coffin [spoilers] originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 16 Oct 2011 07:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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20082633 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2011/10/016korea_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2011/10/016korea.jpg <![CDATA[A champion is crowned at the 2011 Japanese Grand Prix [spoilers]]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2011/10/09/a-champion-is-crowned-at-the-2011-japanese-grand-prix-spoilers/http://www.autoblog.com/2011/10/09/a-champion-is-crowned-at-the-2011-japanese-grand-prix-spoilers/http://www.autoblog.com/2011/10/09/a-champion-is-crowned-at-the-2011-japanese-grand-prix-spoilers/#commentsFiled under: Motorsports, Japan

2011 Japanese Grand Prix

If one trend could sum up the 2011 Formula One World Championship so far, it would surely be the domination of Sebastian Vettel. The reigning champion has put up an unsurpassed fight to defend his title, claiming pole position eleven out of fourteen races so far this season, and turning them into nine checkered flags. In fact, Vettel has finished on the podium at every grand prix this season but one, having finished fourth at his home race in Germany.

On the home stretch of such a dominant campaign, and with five races still to go before the end of the season, Vettel's lead had grown so insurmountable as to have practically crowned him World Champion already. Almost, anyway, as just one point would be all he'd need to lock up the title in Japan. And if Jenson Button - his closest rival - would not win the race, Vettel wouldn't even need that point. It was pretty much a given, then, that Vettel would claim the title for the second year running. But his rivals wouldn't make it easy for him. Follow the jump to read how it went down.

Continue reading A champion is crowned at the 2011 Japanese Grand Prix [spoilers]

A champion is crowned at the 2011 Japanese Grand Prix [spoilers] originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 09 Oct 2011 10:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2011 Monaco Grand Prix

2011 Monaco Grand Prix - Click above for high-res image gallery

The funny thing about speed is that it's relative, at least in a cognitive sense. Sure, you can measure the pace at which a moving object travels over ground, water, air, or even space. But place a Formula One race car on a wide-open track-say, Turkey's Istanbul Park, for example-and it doesn't look or feel like it's going nearly as fast as the same car does along the tight, winding streets of Monte Carlo. That's what makes the Monaco Grand Prix so exciting. This year's especially, packed as it was with nail-biting action. Follow the jump to read how it went down.

Gallery: 2011 Monaco Grand Prix

Continue reading 2011 Monaco Grand Prix is as tight as it gets [spoilers]

2011 Monaco Grand Prix is as tight as it gets [spoilers] originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 29 May 2011 13:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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19952967 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2011/05/web630monaco1280x800_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2011/05/web630monaco1280x800.jpg <![CDATA[2011 Spanish Grand Prix goes down as a game of leap frog [spoilers]]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2011/05/22/2011-spanish-grand-prix-goes-down-as-a-game-of-leap-frog-spoile/http://www.autoblog.com/2011/05/22/2011-spanish-grand-prix-goes-down-as-a-game-of-leap-frog-spoile/http://www.autoblog.com/2011/05/22/2011-spanish-grand-prix-goes-down-as-a-game-of-leap-frog-spoile/#commentsFiled under: Motorsports, Europe

2011 Spanish Grand Prix

2011 Spanish Grand Prix - Click above for high-res image gallery

Ferrari. McLaren. Renault. Williams. The past few decades of Formula One racing have seen each of these teams at the top of their game, claiming championships and dispatching the others along the way. But after watching Brawn GP - having started out as the humble BAR-Honda team and emerging as Mercedes' own factory squad - claim the titles just a couple of years ago, are the years of domination behind us? Or was Brawn's victory merely a hiccup before things return to "normal"? Will Red Bull's championship prove another exception, or will the Anglo-Austrian team emerge as the new force to be reckoned with?

It may take another year or two to watch the pattern unfold, but after winning both titles last year, Sebastian Vettel and Red Bull have come back strong in 2011. The team has converted pole position to the checkered flag at every race but one so far this season. Would this weekend's Spanish Grand Prix further gird Vettel and Red Bull in the defense of their titles, or would a new challenger draw blood around the corners and down the straights of Barcelona? Continue reading for a recap of today's action.

Continue reading 2011 Spanish Grand Prix goes down as a game of leap frog [spoilers]

2011 Spanish Grand Prix goes down as a game of leap frog [spoilers] originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 22 May 2011 12:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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19946801 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2011/05/web630-005spain-1306077636_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2011/05/web630-005spain-1306077636.jpg <![CDATA[2011 Turkish Grand Prix was just the pits [spoilers]]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2011/05/08/2011-turkish-grand-prix-was-just-the-pits-spoilers/http://www.autoblog.com/2011/05/08/2011-turkish-grand-prix-was-just-the-pits-spoilers/http://www.autoblog.com/2011/05/08/2011-turkish-grand-prix-was-just-the-pits-spoilers/#commentsFiled under: Motorsports, Middle East

2011 Turkish Grand Prix

2011 Turkish Grand Prix - Click above for high-res image gallery

Few could have seen it coming: The team that was started by a multiple world champion, then taken over by a British automaker only to be bought out by a beverage company would win the world championship. And win it in spectacular style, too. But surely it was a fluke when Red Bull rose to the top of the heap last season. A fluke like when Brawn GP seized the championship the year before. A fluke the likes of which we hadn't seen - amid decades of Ferrari, McLaren, Williams and Benetton/Renault alternating for the trophy - since Matra and Tyrrell scored the titles in '69 and '71 respectively - at the hands of the same Jackie Stewart who, in 1997, started the team now known as Red Bull. That kind of fluke, right? They couldn't possibly keep it up...could they?

Well, if Red Bull was to fall off the podium this season like Brawn did after its title and acquisition by Mercedes-Benz, we certainly wouldn't know it from the first three rounds so far. Defending world champion Sebastian Vettel took pole position at all three opening rounds, turning them into two wins upset only by fellow champion Lewis Hamilton taking the top step in Shanghai. Would Vettel and Red Bull take their place at the top again this weekend in Istanbul? Would Hamilton be poised to upset his Germanic rivals once again? Or would it be someone else's chance this time? Follow the jump to read on and find out.

Continue reading 2011 Turkish Grand Prix was just the pits [spoilers]

2011 Turkish Grand Prix was just the pits [spoilers] originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 08 May 2011 13:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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19934677 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2011/05/web6302011-turkeyposter_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2011/05/web6302011-turkeyposter.jpg <![CDATA[2011 Chinese Grand Prix packs the action into Shanghai [spoilers]]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2011/04/17/2011-chinese-grand-prix-packs-the-action-into-shanghai-spoilers/http://www.autoblog.com/2011/04/17/2011-chinese-grand-prix-packs-the-action-into-shanghai-spoilers/http://www.autoblog.com/2011/04/17/2011-chinese-grand-prix-packs-the-action-into-shanghai-spoilers/#commentsFiled under: Motorsports, China

2011 Chinese Grand Prix

2011 Chinese Grand Prix - Click above for high-res image gallery

After a solid month's worth of previews, the Shanghai Motor Show will finally open its doors this week. And when it does, it will feature an unprecedented number of world debuts. But as central as the Chinese port city has become to the international auto show circuit, the expo wasn't the only event of worldwide interest occurring there this week.

Shanghai also played host this weekend to the Chinese Grand Prix, the third race in this year's Formula One World Championship. And with rivalries so closely contested, it was still anyone's guess as to how it would unfold. Follow the jump for the full play-by-play.

Gallery: 2011 Chinese Grand Prix

Continue reading 2011 Chinese Grand Prix packs the action into Shanghai [spoilers]

2011 Chinese Grand Prix packs the action into Shanghai [spoilers] originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 17 Apr 2011 08:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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19915412 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2011/04/003chinalead_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2011/04/003chinalead.jpg <![CDATA[2011 Malaysian Grand Prix points the way forward [Spoilers w/poll] <i>Updated*</i>]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2011/04/10/2011-malaysian-grand-prix-points-the-way-forward-spoilers-w-pol/http://www.autoblog.com/2011/04/10/2011-malaysian-grand-prix-points-the-way-forward-spoilers-w-pol/http://www.autoblog.com/2011/04/10/2011-malaysian-grand-prix-points-the-way-forward-spoilers-w-pol/#commentsFiled under: Motorsports

2011 Malaysian Grand Prix

2011 Malaysian Grand Prix - Click above for high-res image gallery

Variety, they say, is the spice of life. So what does that mean in motor racing? Well, sometimes it's the epic battles between the established front-runners that provides the most gripping race action. And this year's Malaysian Grand certainly had plenty of that. But it's the variety - those wild cards from which you never know what to expect - that throw us all for a loop.

Heading into the second round in the 2011 Formula One World Championship, defending champion Sebastian Vettel had already staked his claim for Red Bull and the lead in the standings, with McLaren close behind and the remade Lotus Renault GP following surprisingly in third. Would the same players dominate the field once again, or would new challengers mix it up so early in the season? Follow the jump to read on.

Gallery: 2011 Malaysian Grand Prix

[Images: Clive Mason, Paul Gilham, Mark Thompson/Getty | Mark Baker, Raymond Ho, Vincent Thian, Aaron Favila, Eugene Hoshiko/AP]

Continue reading 2011 Malaysian Grand Prix points the way forward [Spoilers w/poll] Updated*

2011 Malaysian Grand Prix points the way forward [Spoilers w/poll] Updated* originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 10 Apr 2011 09:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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19908262 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2011/04/web630-002malaysiagp_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2011/04/web630-002malaysiagp.jpg <![CDATA[2011 Australian Grand Prix comes straight from a land Down Under [Spoilers]]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2011/03/27/2011-australian-grand-prix-comes-straight-from-a-land-down-under/http://www.autoblog.com/2011/03/27/2011-australian-grand-prix-comes-straight-from-a-land-down-under/http://www.autoblog.com/2011/03/27/2011-australian-grand-prix-comes-straight-from-a-land-down-under/#commentsFiled under: Motorsports, Australia

2011 Australian Grand Prix

2011 Australian Grand Prix - Click above for high-res image gallery

And they're off, ladies and gentlemen. After a tumultuous offseason that saw Robert Kubica sidelined from a rally crash, two Lotus-Renault teams embroiled in a naming rights dispute, the arrival of Pirelli tires to replace Bridgestone and the cancellation of the Bahrain Grand Prix due to political unrest, the 2011 Formula One World Championship has kicked off in earnest with the Australian Grand Prix.

Heading down under to Albert Park, both titles are Red Bull's to defend. But preseason testing showed strong competition coming from the likes of Ferrari, McLaren and Mercedes GP. Would reigning champion Vettel and company be able to hold them back to start off their defense as strong as last year? Follow the jump to find out.

Gallery: 2011 Australian Grand Prix

[Images: Clive Mason, Paul Gilham, Vladimir Rys/Getty | Rob Griffith, Andrew Brownbill, Vincent Thian, David Callow, Daniel Munoz/AP]

Continue reading 2011 Australian Grand Prix comes straight from a land Down Under [Spoilers]

2011 Australian Grand Prix comes straight from a land Down Under [Spoilers] originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 27 Mar 2011 06:39:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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19893086 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2011/03/web-04-ausgp11_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2011/03/web-04-ausgp11.jpg <![CDATA[Hispania Racing finally joins the party with new F1 car and drivers]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2011/03/16/hispania-racing-finally-joins-the-party-with-new-f1-car-and-driv/http://www.autoblog.com/2011/03/16/hispania-racing-finally-joins-the-party-with-new-f1-car-and-driv/http://www.autoblog.com/2011/03/16/hispania-racing-finally-joins-the-party-with-new-f1-car-and-driv/#commentsFiled under: Motorsports, Racing

2011 Hispania Racing Team F111

2011 HRT F111 - Click above for high-res image gallery

Better late than never, they say. And whoever said it could very well have been talking about the Hispania Racing Team. In its debut season last year, the upstart team's two cars - driven by an array of pilots over the course of the championship - retired nine times and failed to score a single championship point. But that's okay, because neither did the other two newcomers, Lotus and Virgin.

This year, though, Hispania has gone back to the drawing board, bringing in veteran designer Geoff Willis to thoroughly work over last year's Dallara-sourced car. After every other team unveiled their new cars and ran them at the successive pre-season tests, HRT was still building theirs, showing us some renderings of the new livery in the meantime and running the old car to test the new tires. But now they've finally put on the finishing touches, shown it to the world and took it out on the track for the first time.

While they were at it, HRT has also announced its final driver line-up, filling in that last TBA on the 2011 driver roster with the hiring of Tonio Liuzzi (who lost his seat at Force India) to drive alongside Narain "Tata Money" Karthikeyan this season. Check out their new Cosworth-powered ride in the high-res image gallery below.

Gallery: 2011 HRT F111

[Source: Hispania Racing Team]

Hispania Racing finally joins the party with new F1 car and drivers originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 16 Mar 2011 08:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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19879261 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2011/03/web630-dcd1111ma68_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2011/03/web630-dcd1111ma68.jpg <![CDATA[Officially Official: Heidfeld to fill Kubica's seat at Lotus Renault GP]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2011/02/16/officially-official-heidfeld-to-fill-kubicas-seat-at-lotus-ren/http://www.autoblog.com/2011/02/16/officially-official-heidfeld-to-fill-kubicas-seat-at-lotus-ren/http://www.autoblog.com/2011/02/16/officially-official-heidfeld-to-fill-kubicas-seat-at-lotus-ren/#commentsFiled under: Motorsports, Hirings/Firings/Layoffs, Lotus, Renault

Nick Heidfeld

Filling the proverbial shoes of Robert Kubica is no easy task. The grand prix winner - one of only 102 in history - is the first Polish driver to make it in Formula One, and he is rated as one of the best in the business. Fill his space, though, is exactly what Renault has had to do after Kubica's unfortunate crash in an Italian rally left him severely - if not critically - injured. But if anyone's up to the task, it's Nick Heidfeld.

The two were former teammates for several years at Sauber, and for his part, Heidfeld has finished more races than any other driver on or off the grid. He's also become the de facto go-to guy for outfits who need an experienced driver to step in post-haste, having been selected by Pirelli to test their new F1 tires and then brought back to Sauber when Pedro de la Rosa wasn't working out last season.

Having tested Heidfeld at its recent Jerez session, the Lotus Renault GP team has announced that they've selected the German driver to take Kubica's place until he's able to return to racing. Heidfeld's selection wins out over Bruno Senna and Romain Grosjean, both of which also have race experience (albeit considerably less) and are contracted members of the team's test-driver roster.

After stints at Prost, Sauber, Jordan and Williams - to say nothing of McLaren and Mercedes GP where he's served as a test driver - Renault will make the fifth team for which Heidfeld will now have driven over the course of the eleven consecutive years he's now been on the grid since his debut at the 2000 Australian Grand Prix. His best result to date was the fifth place finish he scored at Sauber in the 2007 Championship and his eight second-place grand prix finishes. Follow the jump for the official announcement.

[Source: Renault]

Continue reading Officially Official: Heidfeld to fill Kubica's seat at Lotus Renault GP

Officially Official: Heidfeld to fill Kubica's seat at Lotus Renault GP originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 16 Feb 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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19846675 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2011/02/heidfelt-renault_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2011/02/heidfelt-renault.jpg <![CDATA[Hispania Racing Team F111 debut rounds out Formula 1 preseason]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2011/02/12/hispania-racing-team-f111-rounds-out-the-formula-1-preseason/http://www.autoblog.com/2011/02/12/hispania-racing-team-f111-rounds-out-the-formula-1-preseason/http://www.autoblog.com/2011/02/12/hispania-racing-team-f111-rounds-out-the-formula-1-preseason/#commentsFiled under: Motorsports, Racing

2011 HRT F111

2011 HRT F111 - Click above for high-res image gallery

We know this looks like an F1 car. But you know what it actually is? It's the end of the beginning. Because after Ferrari, Lotus, Renault, Sauber, Mercedes, Red Bull, Toro Rosso, Williams, McLaren, Virgin and Force India all unveiled their new Formula 1 cars for the 2011 championship, Hispania Racing Team has joined the action with the F111, marking the end of the preseason debuts.

The new car bears all the hallmarks of the new F1 regulations, but the first thing you're likely to notice is its livery. With little in the way of sponsors, HRT brought in Daniel Simon - the former VW Group designer responsible for, among other things, the light-cycles in Tron: Legacy - to pen the car's dynamic paint scheme. The result is considerably more attractive than last year's gray car, leaving open spots for future sponsors (currently held by "this could be you" and "your logo here" lettering). Simon's Cosmic Motors design firm gets its own logo on the sidepod wing plates, joined only by Tata Motors, which came to the team with Narain Karthikeyan.

The Indian driver, who once raced for Jordan way back in 2005, returns just in time for this year's inaugural Indian Grand Prix. However, after showing Bruno Senna the door, HRT is the last outfit that still needs to confirm its second driver. This is business as usual for HRT, which last year used four different drivers: Karun Chandhok, Bruno Senna, Sakon Yamamoto and Christian Klien, none of whom scored a single point in the 2010 car. Can Karthikeyan and his to-be-announced wingman do better? Well, when you're at rock bottom, there's nowhere to go but up. Details are in the press release after the jump, with high-res images in the gallery below.

Gallery: 2011 Hispania Racing Team F111

[Source: Hispania Racing Team]

Continue reading Hispania Racing Team F111 debut rounds out Formula 1 preseason

Hispania Racing Team F111 debut rounds out Formula 1 preseason originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 12 Feb 2011 17:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>2011 formula one world championshipdaniel simonf1f111formula 1formula onehispaniahispania f111hispania racing teamhispania racing team f111hrthrt f111karthikeyannarain karthikeyanSat, 12 Feb 2011 17:32:00 EST

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19839729 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2011/02/web630-hispania-f111_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2011/02/web630-hispania-f111.jpg <![CDATA[Force India takes on the 2011 F1 championship with the new VJM04]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2011/02/11/force-india-takes-on-the-2011-f1-championship-with-the-new-vjm04/http://www.autoblog.com/2011/02/11/force-india-takes-on-the-2011-f1-championship-with-the-new-vjm04/http://www.autoblog.com/2011/02/11/force-india-takes-on-the-2011-f1-championship-with-the-new-vjm04/#commentsFiled under: Motorsports, Racing

2011 Force India VJM04

2011 Force India VJM04 - Click above for high-res image gallery

With an expanded grid over years past, Formula One has grown into a three-pronged competition. At the front you have the championship contenders like Red Bull, Ferrari, McLaren and Mercedes GP. At the back you have the newcomers Lotus, Hispania and Virgin. In between are the rest that make up the midfield: Renault, Williams, Sauber, Toro Rosso and Force India. But while these divisions are fairly consistent, changes do occur from one season to the next. Mercedes GP - previously known as Brawn GP and Honda F1 before that - was a solid midfielder at best for years, but emerged as the champions in 2009 and still run at the front. Ditto Red Bull Racing, that has seen a remarkable transformation since the Stewart/Jaguar days. And then you have Force India.

The team took over from perennial back-marker outfit Jordan in 2007, and in its first season under new management, finished tenth in the constructors' standings - just ahead of Super Aguri, which withdrew partway through the season. But the following season it finished ninth (ahead of Toro Rosso) and last year, after running sixth most of the season, emerged in seventh, beating out Toro Rosso, Sauber and the three newcomers. That's some impressive progress, but this year Force India is targeting fifth place in the championship, and this is the car with which they hope to get there.

The VJM04 (the team's fourth car, so named after team principal Vijay Mallya) is an evolution of last year's design, and returns under McLaren-Mercedes power for the third season. Adrian Sutil, who has been with the team from the beginning, returns once again, partnered this time by DTM champ Paul di Resta who replaces Vitantonio Liuzzi. Nico Hulkenberg takes up the test driver role - the team having opted to run the 2010 car at the first test session - while several high-ranking team personnel departed over the course of the off-season to rival teams.

Will Force India be able to continue its upwards trajectory to achieve its goals, and maybe add a podium to the lonely one Giancarlo Fisichella scored for the team at the 2009 Belgian Grand Prix? We'll have to wait and see, but in the meantime you can check out the images in the gallery below and the press release after the jump.

Gallery: 2011 Force India VJM04

[Source: Force India]

Continue reading Force India takes on the 2011 F1 championship with the new VJM04

Force India takes on the 2011 F1 championship with the new VJM04 originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 11 Feb 2011 08:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2011 Williams-Cosworth FW33

2011 Williams-Cosworth FW33 - Click above for high-res image gallery

Williams joined the cadre of Formula 1 teams testing and revealing their 2011 challengers at the Valencia test session, pulling the wraps off the new FW33.

Unlike rival team Lotus Renault GP, which unveiled its new livery before rolling out the new F1 car, Williams opted once again to run its new car at the test sessions in plain dark blue paint with minimal sponsor logos. The independent racing team is sticking with Cosworth power for 2011, but despite having developed a flywheel-based KERS apparatus for 2009 (which it never actually ran, but was supplied to Porsche's hybrid GT3), Williams F1 switched to a new battery-based system that it ran for the first time at Valencia.

Otherwise, the Williams-Cosworth FW33 follows the same general idea as most of its Formula 1 rivals: a high nose with a sculpted engine cover and side pods. Rubens Barrichello returns to the wheel alongside newcomer (and reigning GP2 champion) Pastor Maldonado.

In a related development, Williams announced its plans to proceed with the previously reported IPO on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange, floating a little over a quarter of the shares while ensuring that Frank Williams remains controlling shareholder and team principal for years to come. Follow the jump for more details on the new FW33 Formula 1 racer and check out the high-resolution images of the car on track in the gallery below.

Gallery: 2011 Williams-Cosworth FW33

[Source: Williams F1]

Continue reading Williams FW33 Formula 1 car unveiled, IPO confirmed

Williams FW33 Formula 1 car unveiled, IPO confirmed originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 06 Feb 2011 14:11:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2011 McLaren MP4-26

2011 McLaren MP4-26 - Click above for high-res image gallery

While rival Formula 1 teams unveiled their new 2011 challengers at or before the recently test session at Valencia, McLaren opted to run its 2010 F1 car instead. The reason? Ostensibly to focus on the varied effects the new Pirelli tires. This week in Berlin, however, the British Formula 1 outfit joined the field and took the wraps off its new racer, the MP4-26, revealing a number of innovative and radical design elements.

In the German capital, the team rolled out the car in pieces and put it together in front of the gathered crowd (not unlike the funny Vodafone video starring Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton). McLaren used a plastic engine and exhaust system so as not to reveal all their secrets, but what we do know is that MP4-26 F1 car features a longer-than-usual wheelbase, an even higher nosecone than its rivals, and odd U-shaped sidepods. That last feature is designed to channel cleaner air to the new rear wing in an effort to regain downforce lost from the regulatory elimination of the double diffuser.

The MP4-26 is also the first McLaren Formula 1 car designed to accomodate Jenson Button's taller frame, since last year's racer was largely finalized before his release from Brawn GP. McLaren remains secretive on the rest of the design, releasing only the handful of images you can see in the gallery below. Has McLaren got enough tricks up its sleeve to drive Button or Hamilton to another title? We'll just have to wait and see.

Gallery: 2011 McLaren MP4-26

[Source: McLaren]

Radical new McLaren MP4-26 Formula 1 car unveiled in Berlin originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 06 Feb 2011 09:48:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2011 Mercedes GP W02

Mercedes GP W02 - Click above for high-res image gallery

What the heck happened to Mercedes GP last season? The team showed at least as much promise as the three (Ferrari, McLaren and Red Bull) that out-paced it at every turn - with Michael Schumacher coming out of retirement to drive for the defending championship team now backed by full factory support - but barely proved capable of keeping pace.

This could be our answer right here. When Brawn and company realized their transitioning team wasn't capable of mounting a serious challenge for the title, it shifted focus mid-season from the W01 they were using to the new W02 for this season. It was the same sort of strategy Brawn undertook when the team was still under the Honda name, and it netted both titles the following year.

Can the new W02 follow the same path? Is it better suited (along with the new Pirelli spec tires) towards Schumacher's driving style? Or will wingman Nico Rosberg prove capable of getting the better of him once again? Only one way to find out, and we'll all be watching. In the meantime, follow the jump for the full press release and the images in the gallery below.

Gallery: 2011 Mercedes GP W02

[Source: Mercedes GP]

Continue reading Second Time's a Charm: Mercedes GP unveils its new W02 Silver Arrow

Second Time's a Charm: Mercedes GP unveils its new W02 Silver Arrow originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 03 Feb 2011 18:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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19826895 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2011/02/web630-1054219962-253910122011_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2011/02/web630-1054219962-253910122011.jpg <![CDATA[Sauber unveils new C30 Ferrari-powered F1 challenger]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2011/02/03/sauber-unveils-new-c30-ferrari-powered-f1-challenger/http://www.autoblog.com/2011/02/03/sauber-unveils-new-c30-ferrari-powered-f1-challenger/http://www.autoblog.com/2011/02/03/sauber-unveils-new-c30-ferrari-powered-f1-challenger/#commentsFiled under: Motorsports, Racing

Sauber C30

2011 Sauber-Ferrari C30 - Click above for high-res image gallery

Divorce can be particularly difficult on the children. Sauber found that out the hard way when BMW picked up and left at the end of 2009, leaving the team to fend for itself. With the Bavarian automaker's support, the Sauber team had turned from a solid midfielder to a front-running challenger, finishing the 2007 championship in second place. Last year, Sauber struggled with reliability issues and sponsor troubles to finish eighth in the constructors' standings.

If last season was a transition year for Sauber, this year will bring its opportunity to climb back up, and this is the car with which they hope to do so. Called the C30, the new car bears many of the same hallmarks adopted by its rival teams, with a high front nose, more sculpted side-pods and a slender rear section with an integrated diffuser design. It's engine is provided by Ferrari - just as it was last year and in the pre-BMW years - as is the regenerative braking system.

Perhaps most crucial, however, are the sponsors Sauber has brought on board for this season. By signing Sergio Perez, a promising young Mexican driver who won five GP2 races last season to finish second behind Williams' Pastor Maldonado, Sauber has recruited a number of Mexican sponsors, including Carlos Slim's Telmex and Cuervo tequila. So far, however, Sauber has been unable to attract Japanese sponsors to the team despite retaining Perez' returning wingman Kamui Kobayashi, who stands as the only Japanese driver on the grid, and the only contemporary Japanese driver to make it in F1 without the support of a Japanese automaker.

Will Sauber be able to pull itself back from the brink where it stood this time last year and mount a challenge for a couple of podium positions? Time will tell, but for now you can read more about the new car in the press release after the jump and ogle it in the high-resolution image gallery below.

Gallery: 2011 Sauber-Ferrari C30

[Source: Sauber]

Continue reading Sauber unveils new C30 Ferrari-powered F1 challenger

Sauber unveils new C30 Ferrari-powered F1 challenger originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 03 Feb 2011 13:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2011 Red Bull RB7

2011 Red Bull RB7 - Click above for high-res image gallery

If you had told us 20 years ago that a beverage brand would be dominating Formula One, we'd wonder what negative side effects said energy drink might be having on your grasp of reality. But after title-sponsoring the Sauber team as early as 1995, Red Bull surprised everyone by buying not one, but two F1 teams: Jaguar Racing (née Stewart Grand Prix) and Minardi. But five and six years, respectively, since the Austrian company took over the two struggling teams, Red Bull can now lay claim to both titles in the Formula One World Championship.

The premier Red Bull Racing team will have a real job on its hands to fend off the likes of Ferrari, Mercedes and McLaren (to say nothing of the other dozen challengers, including its own B-squad) in defending its titles this season, and this is the car with which they hope to do it.

Designed by Adrian Newey, the RB7 is, as you might have guessed, the seventh Red Bull grand prix car. It carries the same Renault engine as last year (also used by both Lotus teams), with its own proprietary gearbox mated to the KERS regenerative braking system. And of course, as defending champions, the car has the honor of wearing numbers 1 and 2 for returning pilots Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber, respectively. Last season, the duo claimed pole 15 out of 19 races and went on to win nine grands prix to take the championship.

Along with it, Red Bull's sister team Scuderia Toro Rosso also unveiled its new STR6 at Valencia - where Vettel incidentally took the top slot on the time sheets for the first practice session of the season. The second car developed in-house at STR headquarters in Faenza will be driven once again by Sebastien Buemi and Jaime Alguersuari under Ferrari power, and bears the same high nose design employed by most of the new designs this season. With the new car, Toro Rosso hopes to improve on the 9th place constructors' finish from last season that placed them just ahead of the newcomers as the worst-performing returning team on the grid. In the process, STR will undoubtedly be aiming to catch up with the sixth place they seized in 2008 after Vettel captured the team's only victory - and only podium, for that matter.

Scope out the two new taurine-fueled racers in the pair of high-resolution image galleries below and the press releases after the jump, and watch this space for more as rival teams incrementally unveil their new challengers as well.

Gallery: 2011 Red Bull RB7

Gallery: 2011 Scuderia Toro Rosso STR6

[Sources: Red Bull Racing, Scudreria Toro Rosso]

Continue reading Red Bull and Toro Rosso launch 2011 F1 cars trackside at Valencia

Red Bull and Toro Rosso launch 2011 F1 cars trackside at Valencia originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 01 Feb 2011 16:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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19823606 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2011/02/web630-rb7_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2011/02/web630-rb7.jpg <![CDATA[Lotus Renault GP launches its first car in the black (and gold)]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2011/02/01/lotus-renault-gp-launches-its-first-car-in-the-black-and-gold/http://www.autoblog.com/2011/02/01/lotus-renault-gp-launches-its-first-car-in-the-black-and-gold/http://www.autoblog.com/2011/02/01/lotus-renault-gp-launches-its-first-car-in-the-black-and-gold/#commentsFiled under: Motorsports, Lotus, Renault, Racing

2011 Lotus Renault R31

2011 Lotus Renault GP R31 - Click above for high-res image gallery

The Lotus Renault GP team has had a lot of names and owners over the years, and even more liveries. Not to be confused with Team Lotus (also powered by Renault engines this year) that unveiled its new green and yellow car we saw yesterday, and with which the the company is still embroiled in a naming rights dispute, Lotus Renault GP is the most recent incarnation of the Toleman team that operated in the early 80s, which then became Benetton before flying the Renault team flag under which it raced until the end of last season.

Following the Spygate scandal that shook up the team's leadership and saw the withdrawal of its sponsors, the participation of Group Lotus as title sponsor - together with Genii Capital's investment - comes just in the nick of time for the troubled (erstwhile championship-winning) outfit.

The new car bears the name R31, showing continuity with the team it succeeds, and the black and gold livery that the other Lotus outfit was initially planning to run and that hearkens back to the iconic JPS livery which the original Lotus team ran under Renault power back in the 80s.

An evolution of the Renault R30 that raced last year, the R31 was unveiled in the pit lane at Valencia where the first pre-season test session is now underway. Also like last year - and after much speculation over the direction they'd take - the R31 will be driven by the Eastern European pairing of Robert Kubica and Vitaly Petrov.

The team has also lined up an extensive test-driving crew including Bruno Senna (sacked from the race seat at HRT), Romain Grosjean (who drove for Renault in 2009 after securing the GP2 Asia Series title), Fairuz Fauzy (the Malaysian driver who bolted the other Lotus-Renault team), aspiring Sino-Dutch driver Ho-Ping Tung and Le Mans Series champion Jan Charouz. Follow the jump for the full press release and scope out the images in the gallery below for more.

Gallery: 2011 Lotus Renault R31

[Source: Lotus Renault GP]

Continue reading Lotus Renault GP launches its first car in the black (and gold)

Lotus Renault GP launches its first car in the black (and gold) originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 01 Feb 2011 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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19821730 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2011/01/web630-af5d0259_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2011/01/web630-af5d0259.jpg <![CDATA[Team Lotus releases radical new T128 challenger]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2011/01/31/team-lotus-releases-radical-new-t128-challenger/http://www.autoblog.com/2011/01/31/team-lotus-releases-radical-new-t128-challenger/http://www.autoblog.com/2011/01/31/team-lotus-releases-radical-new-t128-challenger/#commentsFiled under: Motorsports, Lotus, Renault, Racing

2011 Team Lotus T128

2011 Team Lotus T128 - Click above for high-res image gallery

Team Lotus has had a busy off-season, principally dealing with the naming rights dispute with Group Lotus and its new Renault team. That issue is still far from resolved, with both teams laying claim to the name, but the Malaysian outfit is taking first blood by launching its new car online before their British counterparts unveil theirs at Valencia. In doing so, Team Lotus becomes the second team to launch its 2011 challenger (following the new Ferrari F150), and the team calls it a complete clean-sheet redesign over last year's car.

Designed by Mike Gascoyne, the new Lotus T128 is a considerably more radical than the T127 it replaces, which was rushed onto the grid with a more conservative design in order to get the team a foothold in its inaugural season. Swapping the previous car's Cosworth power for Renault, the T128 also uses a Red Bull gearbox and starts the season without the KERS regenerative braking system permitted for use once again under this year's regulations.

The T128 sticks with the green and yellow livery after initial plans to switch to the JPS black and gold were aborted before Lotus Renault GP released its own plans for the same. It will be piloted once again by Jarno Trulli and Heikki Kovalainen, with its reserve/test drive still yet to be announced. The new car isn't expected to make its on-track debut until the second day of testing at Valencia, but you can read more about it in the press release after the jump and take your first look in the high-resolution image gallery below.

Gallery: 2011 Team Lotus T128

[Source: Team Lotus]

Continue reading Team Lotus releases radical new T128 challenger

Team Lotus releases radical new T128 challenger originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 31 Jan 2011 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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19821522 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2011/01/web630-lotus-t128_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2011/01/web630-lotus-t128.jpg <![CDATA[Ferrari opens hunting season with the new F150]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2011/01/30/ferrari-opens-hunting-season-with-the-new-f150/http://www.autoblog.com/2011/01/30/ferrari-opens-hunting-season-with-the-new-f150/http://www.autoblog.com/2011/01/30/ferrari-opens-hunting-season-with-the-new-f150/#commentsFiled under: Motorsports, Ferrari, Racing

2011 Ferrari F150

2011 Scuderia Ferrari F150 - Click above for high-res image gallery

With the first of four preseason tests scheduled at the Spain's Valencia circuit this week, Scuderia Ferrari became the first team to unveil its 2011 Formula One World Championship challenger. Over two million fans signed on to the team's website to watch its debut before the new monoposto took to Fiorano for a promotional run.

That the car bears the name F150 is no dig against the best-selling pickup truck from Ford (though the histories of the two companies are riddled with enough cutthroat competition). It's a celebration of a century and a half of Italian unification. The back of the rear spoiler carries the Italian flag, and the Scuderia also devised a new logo that features prominently on the engine cover where the banned Marlboro logo once stood.

Livery tweaks aside, the Ferrari F150 reflects a number of changes to the formula for 2011. A new hydraulically-actuated rear wing is in place, the air intakes are smaller, and KERS is back. Ferrari opted to place its kinetic energy recovery system - co-developed with MTS and Magneti Marelli - inside the redesigned fuel cell, and with the engine freeze still in place, its installation represents the only substantial change to the drivetrain.

The only other major update is the switch from Bridgestone to Pirelli tires, which the entire grid makes this year. Tire calibration will be crucial for all teams during the Valencia test and the three more scheduled to follow before the march 13 season kickoff in Bahrain. When it does, Ferrari hopes the new F150 will help them put last year's blunders behind them in what's shaping up to be an even more exciting campaign than last year's championship, which went down as the most competitive season in F1 history.

Both the Lotus-Renault teams as well as Sauber are scheduled to unveil their cars on Monday, January 31, followed by Mercedes GP, Red Bull, Toro Rosso and Williams on Tuesday, February 1. McLaren shows its 2011 car on February 4, and Virgin on the 7th. Force India and HRT have yet to confirm when their cars will be revealed. Stay tuned as we bring you the latest, and check out the of the Ferrari F150 in the high-resolution image gallery below and the press release after the jump.

Gallery: 2011 Scuderia Ferrari F150

[Source: Ferrari]

Continue reading Ferrari opens hunting season with the new F150

Ferrari opens hunting season with the new F150 originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 30 Jan 2011 09:51:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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